Roadrunner RV Park, Johnson City, TX

Texas Mourning Doves

Monday, May 14 - Rayford Crossing RV Resort, Spring, TX - 200.0 Miles Today, 2,504.6 For the Trip

I made it 200 miles before I decided it was time to stop for the day. I got a bit of a late start - around 9:30 because Jean suggested I wait until after 9:00 for the morning traffic to ease. I guess it had eased, however it reminded me of driving around Boston, DC, Atlanta, etc - not my kind of driving!

I'm at the Roadrunner RV Park, site 0, in Johnson City - $25.00 for full hookups (with $3.00 off for Good Sams.) There are a couple of RV Parks along US 281 / 290, but the others said ...Resort & you know what I think of resorts. This place is just my style for a commercial campground. Everyone talks to each other, the facilities are clean, and while I'm not parked on a concrete slab, I do have clean gravel & shade.

There are mourning doves in the trees, ad they speak with a Texas accent (or mine speak with a NY accent, I don't know which). Anyway, I didn't recognize them by sound until I saw a couple in the tree next to my site. The trees are wonderfully shaped, and what the park owner calls "Ball Moss"(although she says it probably has an "official" name) hangs (and drops) from the branches. They have very solid, free WiFi - too bad I couldn't catch Karin in Botswana on Skype. Our time zones are too out of sync for afternoon chats.

There is a grocery store next to the campground as well as a Subway. I picked up some supplies for the next couple of days including some nice looking plums. There is also a good (according to the campground owner) Mexican restaurant across the street, but I think I'll do Subway - last night's meal was richer than my usual fare so I'm going to take it easy tonight.

I'm not sure how I'm going to continue across Texas - the campgrounds in the central & western parts of the state are few & far between, at least those on my AAA map. I can look up any towns I pass through in the AAA's new camping books - they are sub sets of the Woodall's Directories which I really don't like (I think I have already complained about them, but here I go again!) The problem is the Woodall books aim more for commercial campgrounds & are filled with ads for them. Quite difficult to find what you are looking for, at least compared to the old AAA books. On top of that over the last few days I've discovered another fault - they give directions to the campground (usually from an interstate) but no address. Makes it hard to punch the location into your GPS and near impossible to find if you are approaching on secondary roads.

So, the plan is to head west, starting on US 290 to US 87 and decide at San Angelo, TX whether I want to go on to the next town with a campground.

The Woodlands, TX

Site 75, Rayford Crossing RV Resort

Monday, May 14 - Rayford Crossing RV Resort, Spring, TX - 195.5 Miles Today, 2,304.6 For the Trip

Well here I am in Texas. The plan was to stop in Jaspar & get a haircut, however I never found a barber shop there. I did finally stop & Google barber shops in Livingston, and got my hair cut at the Sports Clips. I guess it is a chain - they gave me a coupon for a 1/2 price cut at the next one.

I spent the rest of the day crawling along at 57 MPH on 70 MPH roads. I did remember to pull over to let people behind me pass. It seems to be a Texas thing - there is enough paving on the sides of the lanes to pull over & keep going while the driver behind you passes, even in a no passing section. You do have to keep your eyes on the road - the sides are where the "gators" collect & every once in awhile, the paved area disappears...

While the RV park I'm in is in Spring, I'm here to visit with Bob & Jean, my late wife Carol's sister & husband in The Woodlands, TX. I had a nice visit with them and a wonderful dinner - Thanks again for the steak & scallops, Bob!

After dinner it was back to the trailer & a late photo of site 75, a $45.00 full service pull through where my little trailer looks way out of place! I did get a Good Sam discount, although I paid $20.00 for the new Good Sam Membership. I'm not sure I will actually save the $20.00 in discounts at 10% off, but so far I'm $4.50 on the way.

Tomorrow I start the long haul across the rest of Texas, heading to Carlsbad, NM.

Till tomorrow.

South Toledo Bend State Park, LA

Site 16, South Toledo Bend State Park, LA

Monday, May 14 - South Toledo Bend State Park, LA - 207.1 Miles Today, 2,109.1 For the Trip

Another day spent traveling. You are even treated to another campground photo - the only one I took all day. Natchez was interesting, with some beautiful old buildings, but not the place to park with a trailer to take photographs. After crossing the Mississippi, I felt I was back in "old" territory. In 2005 I spent two weeks with the Red Cross based in Alexandria helping with the recovery after Hurricanes Katrina & Rita. In fact, as I crossed the bridge into Vidalia, LA I could see one of the buildings we worked in called Vidalia Landing. Looks like it is now a resort. I drove through many of the towns & parishes where we worked, including Leesville & Fort Polk, where I have different memories - I did my Advanced Infantry Training there prior to going to Viet Nam.

I eventually ended up for the night in site 16 in a LA park on the border with Texas. A nice looking, pull through site (although I didn't know they charged extra for a pull through) with water & electric. I'm glad for the electric - for the first time this trip I ran the AC. The outdoor thermometer says 96°F although I think that is because it was in the sun (but then, so was I.) In any case, it has now cooled off enough to go back to the fan.

I ate the rest of the salad & my last "Bubba" burger - I don't know if they sell them around here, but there are about the best frozen hamburgers I've eaten. Thanks to Bert for introducing them to me!

That's about it for the day. I hope to visit with my sister & brother in law tomorrow, depending on how far I get. I also need a haircut. I tried today, but for what ever reason, barber shops don't seem to be open on Mondays.

Actually, I do have an update. I just returned from an evening run (well, walk) to the bathroom. Now, having lived most of my life on Snake Swamp Road (Well, since the doctors, lawyers, etc have moved in the name has been changed to Lakeshore Road - no class at all!) I thought I knew what the night creatures sounded like next to water. I have to say the chorus here at the campground is wonderful! More variety than I've heard anywhere else. Great to fall to sleep to!

Till Tomorrow -

Along the Natchez Trace, Day 2

The Old Natchez Trace

Sunday, May 13 -Natchez State Park, Natchez, MS - 280.3 Miles Today, 1902 For the Trip

I spent most of the day driving south on the Natchez Trace. A very pretty road, although is some ways it is like driving on the interstates, but slower. Actually, not that much slower - I usually drive at 58 MPH in the interstates, and on the Trace the speed limit is 50 MPH. I set the cruise control for 53 MPH and most people passed me. I say like the interstates in some ways because there isn't much variation while driving. Lots of pull offs - I took a couple of photographs of the old trace road, but most of the stops are just a sign at the location where something was - all you see is a wall of trees. They do have lots of bathroom stops as well, so it is a pleasant drive. Part of the Trace was closed, so I had a short hop on I 220 around Jackson, MS.

I stopped for the night at Natchez State Park, Site 46 in Campground B. Concrete pads, water & 20/30/50 amp electric. No sewer, but there is a dump station just up the road & the bathhouse is across the street. I'm doing laundry since there is a set of machines & they are only $1.00 each. I was planning to do laundry every two weeks, so I'm a bit early but why not.

I'm going to finish off the pork tenderloin & asparagus for dinner tonight. While it isn't raining (yet) it sure looks like it is about to start. I'm sure one way to force a downpour is for me to get out & fire up the grill! Besides, I'd say the pork is at the eat it or throw it stage...

Till Tomorrow -

Along the Natchez Trace, MS

Cave Spring - Along the Natchez Trace, MS

Saturday, May 12 -Trace State Park, Tupelo MS - 180.2 Miles Today, 1621.7 For the Trip

I've missed gardening - I have a large vegetable garden in Oswego that I grow lots of squash, tomatoes, peppers, and about every other vegetable I can do in the climate, but because of traveling, haven't been able to do for the last two years. I got a chance to "dig in" yesterday - Cathy bought some tomato & pepper plants so we planted them. Have to say I like Oswego's soil better. Her garden is in the typical red clay soil in the area. Although she has worked stuff into it, I now really appreciate the rocky loam of my garden.

Another "new" thing - I met my first fire ant. Now I had always thought that they were big ants like our local carpenter ants. Well, they are only big by reputation. This little red ant crawled across my fingers & when it got squeezed between them I learned why they are called fire ants. Wow, I can't imagine what running into a nest of them must be like - it hurt!

I survived, the plants are in & for dinner I was treated to pizza at the Mellow Mushroom restaurant in Huntsville, an interesting place that serves hundreds of micro brews. Both the beer & the pizza were great.

This morning I headed for the Natchez Trace. I have always wanted to drive it, but wasn't planning to on this trip because I was heading to Florida after Cathy's. Since I'm running late, I decided to skip Cedar Key and head more directly to The Woodlands, TX to see my sister in law.

My GPS decided to take me off US 72 for a tour through many of Huntsville's housing developments, then back on US 72 after getting the other side of the city. I have a feeling the aviod highways setting is causing the problem, but only the GPS (and Garmin) knows.

I only made one stop on the upper part of the Trace to photograph Cave Spring, and reached Trace State Park around 12:45. I called Don, the person that wanted to look at the Escape, and he and Cheryl met me at the campsite in the park. It started to rain while they were there & we all reminisced about the joys of tenting in the rain. After they left the rain got heavier, but now (about 5:30) it has stopped. It did drive away the tenters in the site next to mine, but they left a smoky fire...

There are some more photos of the Cave Spring & the campsite at today's LakeshoreImages page. (By the way, the reservation through Reserve America worked fine, although the organization at the park is pretty basic. As I entered they gave me a sticker for the window and waved me on - no map, directions, instructions, etc.)

Time for thinking about dinner.  Till tomorrow -